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From Sandyj



India to build 24 submarines

(Times of India, 04 February 2001)

India has embarked upon a major submarine building program to manufacture 24
hunter and killer submarines as part of efforts to make underwater, surface
and air wings of the navy more potent by equipping them with long-range
missiles. Negotiations are in an advanced stage with the French and the
Russians for collaboration in Project 75, which will commence production
later this year, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Sushil Kumar said in an
interview.

"Our emphasis will be on re-configuration to build more silent and hunt-kill
submarines equipped with long-range weapons and advanced electronic warfare
systems," he said. The Admiral said government's go-ahead for the project
would entail re-activating the submarine building lines at Mazagaon docks in
Mumbai. The work on upgrading the facilities was in progress, he said. With
the unveiling of the project, India would become part of a select group of
nations like the US, the UK, Russia, France and Germany to have the
capability to build advanced submarines.

The new submarines would be manufactured over the next 30 years to maintain
a minimum force level of 20 such vessels. The submarines, which would
replace the older ones over a period of time, would be armed with missiles
with a range of over 300 km. At present, India has 138 combat ships
including 18 submarines. Admiral Kumar said the new submarines would be a
mix of SSK Class and the recently acquired Russian-made Sindhushastra Class
which are equipped with Klub Class cruise missiles.

He indicated that the Navy was on the verge of dropping the German-acquired
HDW class submarine project. He said that negotiations were also in advanced
stage for induction of four Russian Tu-22M long-range maritime
reconnaissance aircraft into the Navy on long lease to replace Tu-142 and
IL-38, which were being sent back to Russia for modernisation and to make
them capable of carrying missiles.

The new Tu-22M are equipped with jet engines, unlike the American PC-3
Orions which Pakistan has, and also possesses a longer reach and carries air
defence missiles. Admiral Kumar said the Navy in it's new acquisitions was
laying emphasis on "longer reach and versatile capability" and added that
trials of Dhanush, the naval version of the surface-to-surface Prithvi
missile, from on-board combat ship had so far been fairly successful as
technology demonstrator. The trails were still in progress, he said.
Replying to questions on Dhanush which can be configurated to carry nuclear
weapons, the Naval Chief said though the missile was not yet
operationalised, it was likely to be deployed on surface combat vessels in
another year or so.